SEI teaches actual in water rescue skills in the Open Water class like NAUI does.
Normally this is interpreted to mean performing a CBL (controlled buoyant lift) of an dead/unconscious diver.
PADI does (indeed) not teach this at the OW level. In the PADI system learning this skill is delayed until the Rescue course.
One could argue that the OW course is where this skill belongs because OW divers are at higher risk of accidents than more experienced divers. This is an often heard criticism of the PADI system and there is certainly something to be said for that. Several agencies teach this skill at the OW level and there is a lively debate about whether or not all newbie divers should know how to "rescue" an unconscious diver under water.
On the other hand, you could say that a newbie diver really should focus on their own diving and that they should get as much attention during the OW course to developing and practicing their OWN skills as possible. After all, a diver who spent more time during OW on practice is less likely to be in a situation where they need to be rescued and/or need to rescue someone else.
This is the PADI approach.
It turns out that the difference in approach doesn't make a damned bit of difference in the accident statistics. I'm sure there will be some anecdotal case of a diver who rescued their buddy because they learned it and there is certainly an anecdotal case of a diver who didn't need to be rescued because they spent more time working on personal skills.
Time is what it is. You can only spend time once. The question is... what do you want to spend it ON?
I'll tell you how I weigh in. I recently taught my daughter how to dive. I've been introducing her to diving for the last 3 years. Her buoyancy control, comfort and communication were 100% before she even started with the "official" course.
Even then, I didn't teach her a CBL of a "dead/unconscious" diver at the OW level. What did I want from her? That her buoyancy control is outstanding, her buddy skills are outstanding and that all of the 19 foundation skills she needed to learn are outstanding and that she can think creatively when problems arise.
In other words, I want her to *avoid* getting in a situation where lifting a dead/unconscious victim from the bottom is what her dive boils down to. If she learned what I taught her (and I think she did) then for the rest of her life she will never need to CBL a corpse.
In my mind you have to teach OW students to deal with stuff that will actually happen to them. How many will need buoyancy control? How many will need to CBL a corpse?
I know what I'll spend my time on.
R..